This illustration shows the Chinese and Taiwanese flags Photo: Dado Ruvic/Illustration photo/
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defence on Sunday announced a new wave of Chinese military activity near its borders: 35 Chinese warplanes, including fighters and bombers, were spotted in the south of the island, where they took part in a large-scale exercise in the Pacific Ocean. This is the second day in a row that Taipei has reported such manoeuvres, according to CNBC.
China, which considers democratic Taiwan to be part of its territory, has been sending its armed forces to the waters and airspace near the island, insisting on its sovereignty claims. Official Beijing has not yet commented on the new actions, which are of particular importance as the US presidential election approaches.
The United States, which is legally obliged to help Taiwan defend itself, supports the island, in part, through arms sales. Last month, the United States announced the sale of a $2 billion missile system to Taipei, which caused strong indignation in Beijing.
On Sunday, starting at 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT), Taiwan spotted 37 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, H-6 bombers with nuclear capability, and drones. Among them, 35 aircraft were flying southwest, south and southeast over Taiwan to the western Pacific Ocean, where they were conducting military exercises, the Taipei Defence Ministry said.
In response to these manoeuvres, Taiwan sent its own military forces to closely monitor the situation, the island’s Ministry of Defence said. The day before, on Saturday, Taiwan’s military also reported Chinese “joint patrols in preparation for combat operations” involving warships and aircraft near Taiwan.
